Fuel tank



June 8 .1926.

P. A. MAY

FUEL TANK Filed Feb. 20

1925 2 SheetS-Sheeti INVENTOR I WITNESSES ATTORNEYS J ne 8 1926.

1,588,124 I P. A. MAY

FUEL TANK 4 Filed 2 1925 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ir "MI 3H1.

' WITNESSB INVENTOR ATTORNEYS clip 6 is Patented June 8, 1926.

* La -iii PLEASANT AUGUSTUS MAY, 01 DALLAS, TEXAS.

' FUEL Application filed February This invention relates to fuel tanks and has for its object the provision of a device for conserving a definite quantity of fuel when the fuel gets low in a tank and is adapted to serve as a warning to motorists that the quantity of fuel in the tank is limited.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device adapted to beconnected to the usual sediment bulb of a fuel tank and inserted! within the fuel tank for maintaining a limited quantity of fuel in the tank after the fuel hasjreached a certain level, with a further provision for releasing the reserved fuel at the will of the operator of an automobile. This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following de tailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a partof the specification; nevertheless it is'to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings Y Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of the fuel tank showing my invention ap plied thereto.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective and partly in section of the device for providing for an emergency fuel supply with the parts of the same shown in separated relation.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the fuel controlling device in normal position.

Figure .2 is a view in elevation showing a modified form of my invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the tank partly broken away and in section showing the application of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a fuel tank having a countersunk, threaded opening 2 into which is screwed a filling cap 3. The filling cap is provided with an opening 4 through which is movable a chain or cable 5. A spring mounted on the cap 3 and is adapted to secure the upper end of the cable in any position desired. An enlargement 7 prevents the same from passing through the perforation 4.

The bottom of the tank is reinforced as shown by a nipple 8 which is provided with V an internally threaded opening adapted tov TANK. 20, 1925. .Serial No. 10,691.

receive the threaded nipple 9 of a sediment bulb 10.. The. passage ofliquid fuel from thetank .1 through the sediment bulb as is usual is controlled by a turning plug valve '11 and a feed line 12 connected with the bulb for supplying fuel to theusual carbureter;

The diameter of the nipple 9 of the bulb 10 is sufficient to permit the bore or usual passage 13 to be machined and threaded to receive the reduced threaded end 14:. of a valvecage 15. The valve-cage for a portion of its length is cutaway to form elongated lateralpassages 16 through which the fuel inthe tank is adaptedto flow at a predeter mined rate and when the cylindrical valve 17 is lifted throughthe cable The cage 15 isv of such a diameter that it maybe readily inserted through the usual threaded bore in the nipple 8 at the bottom of the fuel tank. The valve 17 is hollow and lcylin-, drical in shapeyand hasits upper and lower ends open, the cable 5 being connected thereto by means of a handlelS to the upper end, of the valve 17. v p r A coiled spring 19 isihoused in -the cage and engages at of the valve 17 being adapted to maintain the valve upon its seat 20 in the'ca'ge 15 its upper end engaging the bushing nut 21. The upper end of the cage 15 is internally threaded as "shown at 22 to receive the threads on the bushing 'nut 21. The nut 21 is provided with a flared bore 23through which the fuel in the tankis adapted to-normally flow and through which the cable 5 is adapted to freely move for operating the valve 17. It will be appreciated that the fuel also passes through, the openings 16 to the cage 15 and enters the open upperend of the valve 17.

its lower end the upper end v In Figure 4 is shown a slightly modified form of the invention and in which the-nip 1" ple 9 of the sediment bulb 10 is screwed into an internally and externally threaded bushing 2 f. The-bushing is screwed into the usual openings 8 of the threaded openings in the reinforcement Sand the tank 1 and the lowerthreaded endil l: of the valve cage 15- is screwed into the internally threaded upper end of the bushing 24. The remaining elements of theconstruction are similar in every respect to the construction shown in Figure 1. It will be seen that in each case it will" be unnecessary to machine the nipple 9 the reduced threaded end of the sediment bowlto receive 1a of the valve drawing on the cable 5 and maintaining tl .e

valve 17 through bore 13 into the sediment bulb 1O filling the same and through the feed line to the carhureter. As the gascline or fuel drops to the level WhlGll is in p the same plane with the top of the cylindri-r cal valve 17' flow ofgasohne Wlll cease from the bulb 10' and cause the engine to stop.

The operator of the caris thus Warned that a reserve of approximately a gallon ofgasoline still remalns 1nthe tank-and that by valve 17 in an} elevated position this reserve -h btlttl Oi inei n tne tans may t en e cc 0 1e ea-rbureten; Such a arning Wlll be sufiiw eient to cause the operator of the car to make haste to the nearest gasoline station for additional luel.

V The lower reduced threaded end 14 of the valvecage hasa central passage 25 therethrough whereby the tank 1 is maintained normally in open 'communication with the sediment boWl 10.

'It will be seen from an inspection of" the figures that the valve may be operated by a chain in a vertical line or by a chain disposed at anangle, when the closure cap for the thecoil spring 19 and the gasoline tank is located to one side ofthe" sedio nient bulb, and the flaring of the bore of nut 21 facilitates the operation and prevents stic mg or jamming of the valve, or chain 5.

What I claim is:

In a fuel tank, means for maintaining a predetermined quantity of fuel in the tank, comprising asediment bulb having a cylindrical valve cage, removably connected to the sediment bulb at its upper end, said cage being of less diameterthan said end ofthe sediment bulb, and adapted to be connected with the fuel tank, said cage having elon gated lateral openings,said tank being pro- 1 vided with a threadedopening, said sediment bulb having threads adapted-to be screwedinto the threaded opening, aholl-ovv cylindrical valve slidably mounted in said cage and adapted to close said elongated lateral: openings to a predetermined height or-level', said cage having itsv upper end: internally threaded, a bushmg nut held with n tie said upperend of the cage, said nut havmg a central bore flared upwardly, a chain connected at oneend With said valve,and

passing through the flared bore, the other end of said chain adapted to be passed through an opening in the top 7 of said tank located to one side of the vertical plane of :the' cage, a coiled spring housed in the cage between the valve and the bushing nut, for. maintaining the valveupon its seat, the length of the valve determining the leveland quantityof reserve-fuel retained in the tank'after the fuel has been normally drawn oft.

PLEASANT AUGUSTUS 

